Music Is The Link
by wyntertwilight
Summary: All deep things are song. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly not, mostly M/A.
1. This Place Is A Prison

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer: **My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets.

**Summary: **'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes:** So, on my LJ, I saw a meme that said you had to pick a fandom, then shuffle through your music player for 10 songs, and write drabbles for that fandom relating to each one. This is basically the result of that meme, except my pieces aren't drabbles. A couple are quite short, but for the most part, they're all a bit longer. Also, I was going to provide lyric links incase you were unfamiliar with any of the songs, just so you could get a better idea of how each piece related to them, but since FF is ghey about links, I can't. They're all available on SongMeanings, though, if you're interested!

The first song was _This Place Is A Prison_ by The Postal Service.

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This Place Is A Prison

He stood behind the chain-link fence, face void of any emotion, but a look of longing clear in his hazel-green eyes as he stared through the gaps at the open city beyond. It had been three weeks since that fateful moment on the roof, three weeks since a certain strong-headed brunette had openly made a stand for herself and the countless others like her, transgenics and transhumans alike, three weeks since they'd essentially announced to the world "here we are, take a good look and get used to it, 'cos we're not hiding anymore". He'd felt a strange sense of hope at the time, believing that maybe it was possible for their entire race to survive out in the open, claim their freedom and live like actual people, but now...he wasn't too convinced. Every day since then had been spent behind the looming steel barrier, pacing back and forth like animals stuck in a cage, constantly on edge and just waiting – for what, no-one was quite sure, but it wasn't difficult to work out that the possibility of a military attack was at the forefront of everyone's minds. And then what would they do?

He was restless. He felt cornered, and trapped. And worse still, he _really_ wanted a shot of hard liquor.

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Any and all feedback is much appreciated!


	2. Have You Forgotten

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer:** My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets.

**Summary:** 'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes:** This song was _Have You Forgotten_ by Red House Painters. If you don't know it, the ficlet will make some sort of sense anyway, but just incase you're wondering, the key lyrics that relates to this piece are "I can't let you be, 'cause your beauty won't allow me" and "have you forgotten how to love yourself?"

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Have You Forgotten

"C'mon Maxie – just give us a chance."

Against her will, his soft plea stopped her in her tracks, but she couldn't let herself turn around and look at him. Not after the crazy bombshell he'd just dropped on her. A part of her was convinced that if she just pinched herself, she'd wake up from some crazy bong-induced nightmare, then she could head straight to Crash and drown herself in as many beers as possible with her girl, in an attempt to forget about the whole thing. The other part would have none of it. And it was that stubborn-ass part that kept her from walking out of the door and out of his life for the last time. Because she knew if she left now, she'd blow it forever.

In some bizarre way though, staying, and everything that would follow, still struck her as the more terrifying scenario.

"I know you've not exactly had an easy ride when it comes to love – how could you, what with Logan and the whole virus debacle...some of which was my fault, yeah, and I'll hold my hands up to that. And I guess my Rachel issues haven't helped either of us, but...I'm still willing to try. Because I think what we have is irreplaceable. Because, let's admit it, what we could be together is nothing short of epic. And because I love you."

Her world was spinning, and she was suddenly short of breath all over again – damn it, why did he keep having that effect on her? Closing her eyes tightly, she willed herself to calm down and just breathe in and out rhythmically, starting a count in her head to try and ease some of the pressure. She felt him move in slowly behind her, reaching out to grasp her shoulder and turn her round to face him. Her eyes flew open of their own accord, and her breath hitched again, the stress-relieving exercises counting for nothing, when she saw just how close he was. He kept one hand on her shoulder, his grip firm but not too suffocating, giving her the chance to flee if she wanted, but silently telling her that he wasn't letting go for the moment, and he reached out with the other to take a hold of her chin, tilting her face upwards so that green eyes locked with brown, emotion wrought in both pairs.

"I know you hate yourself for this whole situation, and supposedly ruining everyone's lives, and I know you think you don't deserve anybody's love, but I hate to break it to ya, you're kinda stuck with mine forever. I love you enough for the both of us put together. And if you just let me, I'll spend the rest of my life proving just how much. Because you are beautiful, strong, stubborn, caring and kickass all in one, and out of everyone I know, the one person most deserving of love. Let me be the one who gives it to you."

A lump in her throat, she could barely trust herself to speak as for once, she let go of every inhibition she had, and nodded. He released a relieved sigh she hadn't even realised he'd been holding in, and as he leaned forward to wrap her small frame in his arms and place a soft kiss on her forehead, she finally allowed herself the tiniest of smiles.


	3. Don't Stay

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer:** My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets.

**Summary:** 'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes: **The inspiration for this ficlet came from _Don't Stay_ by Linkin Park. Also, just wanted to say thank you to those who have reviewed this so far! I'm glad that some people are enjoying the series, despite the shortness of the drabbles, so thanks for letting me know :-)

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Don't Stay

As soon as the door closed behind her, the glass hit the wall with speed and force, instantly shattering into a million little fragments and scattering over the floor, never to be pieced together again. For a brief moment, he stared blankly at the shining mess, the remnants looking eerily similar to the diamond necklace he'd given her as a gift only a few days ago – in the dim light of the room, some of the glass seemed to sparkle, mocking him even further, before he turned away, scoffing in disgust. He grabbed an open bottle of Jack's and glugged straight from it as he made his way to the couch, the harsh liquor leaving a welcoming burn down his throat, and offering him a brief but warm escape from the steaming pile of crap that was his life. She had tried to feed him some meagre excuses about how the timing wasn't right, and once things calmed down a bit, they could pick things back up from where they'd left off and give it another go, but he wouldn't be fooled. He could see that she'd been losing faith in the two of them for a long time now. He could blame it on the distance, the lack of communication, their individual responsibilities, the bigger picture, but when it came down to it, he knew it was because she just didn't believe in the two of them anymore, just didn't think there was anything between them worth holding out for. It pissed him off, because if there was one thing he'd learned about her over the time he'd known her, it was that she fought tooth-and-nail for the things she believed in, didn't give up easily, no matter what the obstacle in her way. He saw her do it for her "family" all the time, but he obviously wasn't worth the effort.

So he'd told her, in no uncertain terms, to get out of his life and never come back. She hadn't even tried to reason, just gazed at him with a final sad but resonant look, and complied. And that was probably what hurt the most, the heavy feeling that perhaps she had _never_ cared weighing heavy on his heart and mind. He took another deep swig of the alcohol, refusing to dwell on that thought. There had been a life before her, and there would be a life after her. The only problem with that, Logan reflected miserably, was that he didn't think a life without Max would be worth living.

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**Notes:** Genuinely, who thought the "he" was Alec until it became obvious it wasn't? :-P


	4. So Fortunate

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer: **My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets.

**Summary: **'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes: **_So Fortunate_, by Adema. If you know the song, then it'll be obvious before you read this, what it's about. If not, I hope you're pleasantly surprised.

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So Fortunate

He stood in silent vigil over the cot, green orbs fixed on the tiny figure under the bundle of light-blue blankets. It was difficult to break his gaze away, and he found himself running his eyes down the complete form repeatedly, painstakingly taking in every little detail and committing it to memory - the way his small fingers gripped the edge of the blanket, the small fluff of dark-brown hair barely visible in the dark, every little crease of his beautiful, angelic features, and especially his smile. He had his mother's smile. When those sleepy eyes blinked open in the morning, he knew he'd find himself staring into a pair of shining green that mirrored his own. He couldn't stop the feeling of awe that spread through him again, and he knew now, as he stood guardedly over his son's peaceful form, as he'd known from the very first moment he'd seen him, that he'd love him forever, and he'd do everything in his power to protect him. At the expense of absolutely anything.

He felt, more than saw, her pad softly to his side, but she didn't say anything, just leaned softly into him as he raised his arm and placed it round her shoulders, holding her close. It had been a life-changing experience for the both of them, but she knew how much her mate especially had been freaked out by the whole thing, constantly plagued by doubts and fears. None of which had stopped him from stepping up and being there when she needed him, though, and she made sure he knew how much faith she had in him. It would be a slow process, but eventually he would get there. They both would.

She turned her head slightly and pressed a gentle kiss above his heart, silently encouraging him to make his way with her back to bed, and he blew out a soft sigh, one last lingering look at the cot, before he complied. They moved in perfect harmony, she still tucked into his side, her arm wound securely around his back, their fingers intertwined and thoughts very much aligned. She felt his voice rumble from deep inside his chest as he spoke above her.

"We did good, didn't we, Maxie?"

"Yeah, Alec. We did good."


	5. New Beginning

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer: **My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets.

**Summary: **'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes: **This was set to _New Beginning_ by Trapt. I'm actually quite proud of the way this turned out, despite its length.

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New Beginning

The flag waved fiercely in the gathering wind, poised and erect high above their heads, its silhouette stark against the fiery-orange of the sky behind it. It was amazing how something so small could hold so much meaning for them, but in its profound simplicity, it had become a clear-cut and important symbol for the transgenic cause. It signified their unfinished journey, from the dark days of Manticore to their unified stand today, ready to face whatever lay ahead; it was a representation of their nation and its people, as messed-up and broken and ragtag as they might be; and more importantly for some of the transgenics, it was their declaration of independence. Despite their differences in animal DNA, if there was one thing they all had in common, it was their hatred for their place of creation, and the strong, underlying desire to _never _go back, to never live under such a terrifying degree of control and torture again. Since its destruction and their escape, the majority of them had attempted to set up lives of their own and while they had, to some degree, succeeded, they had still felt aimless – lost and alone and without any particular purpose. Now though, as the group of Manticore alumni stood silently as one, the sense of camaraderie amongst them was obvious, and each individual took the raising of their flag not only as the establishment of their 'freak nation', but as a sign for change. It was time for a new beginning.

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**Notes:** I feel kinda bad that this one was so short, so I'm going to upload the next one later on tonight. It's actually an alright length and has a bit of a lighter tone than all the pieces before, so hopefully that'll mak up for it!


	6. The Beginning of the Twist

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer: **My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets.

**Summary: **'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes: **As promised, the next drabble a day early. We've passed the halfway point of the series so I just wanted to say huge thanks to all the reviewers for commenting! Especially the anonymous ones, as I can't really reply in your case. But I appreciate all of you, so thank you!

Anyway, this is the longest drabble to date so far, but not the longest in the series (I think), and the notion for this came from _The Beginning of the Twist_ by The Futureheads. I think I took some liberties with relating the song and the piece, but the idea just popped into my head and I went with it. Enjoy!

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The Beginning of the Twist

Alec groaned into his pillow as his room was suddenly thrown into brightness, the harsh light attacking his poor eyes and doing nothing to help his pounding headache. It felt as if a tiny elf had taken residence inside his head and decided that hammering right behind his eyes with a giant anvil was the most fun he could possibly have. He drew his covers up around him even further, willing his unwanted visitor to take the hint and just leave, but as a looming shadow fell over his head, he mentally rolled his eyes. No such luck.

"What the hell are you doing still in bed? Normal's been riding my ass about you not turning up to work ALL DAY. Like it's my fault you're so irresponsible."

"Ah Max, have you come to serenade me with your oh-so-dulcet tones? Please, save yourself the breath and **don't**. I insist."

She huffed and grabbed a hold of the duvet, intending to pull the whole thing off him and expose his bare-ass self to the cold draught drifting through his room, but Alec had other ideas as he gripped it tightly from his end, eyes flying open in panic.

"Nooo, don't! I've had this shitty case of the shakes all night and day and no matter what I do or take, it won't go away!"

Max's eyebrows raised to the top of her head as Alec's self-pitying whine ended in a groan, but her mood vanished and her demeanour changed as she heard that dreaded word. She leaned over him, turning his face to hers determinedly to get a good look at him, and she felt something tug on her heartstrings as he blinked blearily at her, face contorted in pain and confusion, his hair all mussed up from sleep. The idea that he'd been suffering for hours on his own hurt her more than it should have.

"Alec, have you been having seizures?"

Relief flooded through her as he shook his head 'no', but it was short-lasting when he whimpered, dropping his head back to the pillow and screwing his eyes shut, motioning slightly towards the wall. Without any hesitation, she turned and flipped the light-switch off. He didn't wait for her to speak again before answering her next question.

"I can't stop feeling cold, I've been shivering all night, but at the same time, you could probably fry an egg on my face. My head is killing me, and the twisting in my stomach – it's like someone's using my guts to make balloon animals. Probably the way White wants to, actually."

Max let out an undignified snort at his end remark, resting her hand against Alec's forehead to get a feel of how high his temperature was. His skin was clammy and burned under hers, and she felt him turn into her touch, welcoming the cooling effect. She couldn't resist running her fingers through his hair, a little damp from sweat, trying to give him a little comfort, and she felt that tug inside her again when he let out an appreciative mumble. He cracked one eye open, peering up at her like a lost, little boy.

"I think I'm dying, Maxie."

This time she couldn't stop herself, and mindful of what he'd said about his sore head, she slapped him lightly on the shoulder. Alec's mouth dropped open in surprise, frowning at her lack of compassion over his sickly state, and he glared up at her, the hurt evident in his eyes.

She rolled her eyes before resuming stroking his hair, the sting of the slap lessened by her gentle actions. "You're not dying, stupid. It sounds like you just caught a stomach bug."

He stilled completely, comprehension dawning, and she had to bite her lip to stop from laughing as his cheeks went red (more than they were already) from his blush, a sheepish look on his face.

"Stomach bug, huh?"

She stood up straight, crossing her arms across her chest and fixing him with a bemused glance. "Yup."

There was a pause.

"...I knew that."

Shaking her head, Max drew the covers up around him tightly, making sure he was tucked in and protected from the chill as best as possible, then left the room before returning with a cold compress, and a glass of water with painkillers. She placed the compress over his forehead, and ignored the way Alec was watching her as she set the other items on his small bedside drawer, a knowing look in his eyes, and a smile tugging at his lips.

"I'll let Normal know you're sick. And I'll see if I can find a local pharmacy somewhere, grab you some antibiotics."

He still said nothing, just continued watching her amusedly, as she nodded and made to leave. She closed his bedroom door gently behind her, already mentally working out potential targets and ways in and out without risk of getting caught. She figured it couldn't be too hard to work out what antibiotic he needed particularly...suddenly, his voice broke through her thoughts.

"Wanna kiss me and make it better?"

She resisted the urge to go back to his room and kick his butt for being a wiseass when he was sick and needed her help, but she didn't want to give him the satisfaction of getting to her, so instead she just smirked before turning her head to answer.

"In your dreams, pretty boy."

The front door swung shut behind her, but not before she heard his low chuckle drifting through the empty apartment.


	7. Fences

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer: **My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets.

**Summary: **'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes:** I don't think the title of the song on its own makes sense in relation to the fic, but if you read the rest of the lyrics, you should get it! Anyway, _Fences_ is by Paramore. A really damn cool song, actually.

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Fences

The flashes of countless cameras in her face was blinding, causing her to see nothing but white lights in front of her eyes, and Max almost stumbled as she made her way up the stage steps, and behind the podium. Shouts and yells and questions rang in her ears, the individual voices blending into a cacophony of noise, until she couldn't make out who was saying what, and as she cast a wary eye out over the crowd, the faces staring back at her all seemed to share the same expressions – fear, curiosity, hostility, arrogance, the same sense of distaste and judgment. Even though they were behind a small barrier and she was out of their reach on stage, she felt as if the crowd themselves was a huge, invisible force pushing itself upon her, and for a split-second, Max considered blurring the hell out of there, as fast and far away as possible.

But she couldn't. She mentally slapped herself, and told herself to get a grip, because there were a lot more people riding on this than just her. Images of Terminal City flashed through her mind, nameless faces of transgenics and transhumans alike all looking to her to be their leader and reminding her of the weight of responsibility on her shoulders – not that she could blame them for that. She couldn't declare a stand for their people, and then turn her back on them and leave them to pick up the pieces. The trouble was that she hadn't wanted _this_. She could openly admit that she had some sort of rescuer complex, a fierce but inexplicable need within her to protect those few in her life, but there was a reason she was known as the 'ice queen'. She was notorious for pushing people away, refusing to let anyone in behind the constructed barricades around her heart and soul, and according to a certain someone, severely lacking in social skills. Hardly the best candidate for making nice with the ordinaries. Max was used to looking out for herself, but faced with the prospect of looking out for countless others was, quite frankly, freaking scary.

In the end though, that didn't matter. She'd basically proclaimed herself the 'face of the transgenics', and it was up to her now to try and negotiate some sort of life for them, a decent way of living – or at least one where they weren't constantly looking over their shoulders, in fear of some racist jerks killing them from behind. Straightening her shoulders and rising to her full height, she lifted her chin slightly with defiance, refusing to let the crowd of raving reporters get to her. As long as she was in the limelight, she'd do her best for her people, and she would deal with it. She had to.


	8. Map of the Problematique

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer: **My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets.

**Summary: **'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes:** The song that this was inspired by is _Map of the Problematique_ by Muse, and it is Freaking. EPIC. On a grand scale. So if you haven't heard it, you need to listen to it NOW. Anyway, it was almost difficult writing this, because on the one hand, the song is almost political and end-of-the-worldsy, but on the other, it's as if it's about a relationship. But I think I caught the balance well, and I'm pleased with the way it turned out.

Reviews as always are treasured.

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Map of the Problematique

The smell of fear, fire and blood permeated the air around her, the tangy scent unpleasant on her sensitive nose and making her gag. She gulped a few times, trying to clear her throat, and shook her head to clear it of the haze that seemed to have taken permanent residence since that one particularly nasty hit. And immediately regretted it as the actions made her want to throw up again, blood trickling down the side of her face with the movement, past her busted lip and into her swollen gums. From her vantage point on the ground, she couldn't really see much, only a few feet in front of her, but it was enough as his still figure suddenly caught her eye. Panic rising at how much he was _not_ moving, she forced herself up, biting back a cry of pain as she jostled her damaged ribs and shuffled over to his side to assess the damage, careful to keep low and unseen through the smoke surrounding them.

His leg was clearly broken, the bone having been brutally twisted and forced until it snapped, while his beautiful face was marred with numerous cuts and bruises, the discoloration stark against his unusually pale skin. A large bloom of deep red stained his t-shirt, indicating an unseen injury on his abdomen. Before she could stop them, her eyes welled with tears at the sight of him looking so beat-up and helpless - how could such a vibrant, colourful being have been reduced to this? The guilt overwhelmed her, her mind racing with all the ways in which this was her fault. Not only what had happened to him, but to the rest of them, their friends and family, Terminal City as a whole. How had it come to this point? How had she let her guard down long enough to let this happen, to let White get the upper hand?

She wiped away the tears angrily, scolding herself for dwelling on the issue now. That could come later – her priority for the moment was getting them out of the warzone and to a safe point, where hopefully they could recover and regroup, and work out what the hell to do next. She leaned down to pull his heavy weight over her shoulders, gasping sharply at the pain the exertion caused her, but she refused to dwell on it, or on what he'd told her to do, should they ever find themselves in a situation exactly like this one. _"If something happens to me, then you get the hell out. Forget about saving my ass again Maxie, you leave, and you don't look back."_ As. If. Leaving him behind wasn't even an option. He'd suddenly popped into her life, comfortably made a place for himself, and despite all she'd done and the way she'd treated him at the beginning, he'd never even considered disappearing. And slowly but surely, she'd discovered that a life without his presence would be painfully lonely, in more ways than one. He didn't get to just abandon her now, and she refused to let him go.


	9. Get It Hot

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer: **My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets.

**Summary: **'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes: **_Get It Hot_ by AC/DC. As you mighta guessed, it's pure rock'n'roll, and basically about a guy and girl going out for a night on the town. This was a lot of fun to write, haha.

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter, you guys rock!

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Get It Hot

His face lit up as she finally appeared in front of him, lips curving into an appreciative, predatory smile. She was a vision in black, her short skirt, heeled boots and figure-hugging top not leaving much to the imagination, and judging from the smirk gracing her full lips, she knew how amazing she looked. He stood up from where he'd been leaning on his bike, and made his way slowly towards her, eyes running up and down her form to take in her entire beauty, almost lazy in his steps and yet managing to look like an animal stalking its next prey. Which he kinda was.

"Nice look. But I don't think your boyfriend would really appreciate other guys seeing you like that."

She laughed, the sound tinkling through the still of the night, and warming him from the inside. "Actually, he encourages it."

Adopting a wide-eyed look of surprise, he started to circle her, barely inches between them. "_Really?_ Are you sure about that?" He could feel the heat emanating from her as he skimmed the air above her skin with his hand, and unable to resist, he ran a fingertip over one bare shoulder, a wolfish grin spreading as she let out an involuntary shiver in reaction. She shifted slightly to the side, and he didn't miss a beat, following her step exactly and staying close.

"Oh yeah. That way I distract all the drunken losers in whatever bar we decide to hit up, while he makes quick work of their wallets."

He came full-circle, leaning down and in close to catch her hooded gaze. The black of the eyeliner made her soft-as-velvet, chocolate eyes even more prominent, the promise within them striking a chord somewhere deep inside of him.

"He sounds like a jerk."

She tilted her head slightly, smirk ever-present, and leaned in closer, the space between them practically non-existent. "He kinda is." There was a golden glint in his eyes as his expression narrowed, and her own eyes dancing, she closed the distance and touched her lips to his own, marking them with a soft kiss. "But I love him anyway."

A full, sunny smile broke out across his face, and he leaned down to capture her lips again, when a voice rang out from behind them, amusement evident in its tone.

"You cats planning on making a move anytime soon, or are you gonna stand there all night? I don't need my girl running away scared before she even gets here 'cos of the sight of you two macking out in the open."

He rolled his eyes, and she had to bite her lip from laughing at the appearance of his sullen pout from the interruption.

"Okay okay, we're going!"

Their mock-exasperation went unmissed, and O.C. laughed before shooing them away with one perfectly manicured hand, turning and making her way back up the stairwell. Alec looked down at the dark angel by his side, a multitude of emotions shining through his brilliant green eyes, in anticipation of the night ahead.

"Ready to knock this town dead?"

Max nodded with a grin, her own excitement clear. "Always."

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**Notes:** Last drabble to come tomorrow! In contrast to the heaviness of most of the series, it's a light one, so check back if you're interested ;-)


	10. It's My Life

**Music Is The Link**

**Disclaimer: **My Dark Angel ownership extends only to the DVD boxsets. And I own nothing else you might recognise...

**Summary: **'All deep things are song'. A series of drabbles/ficlets set to a random playlist of songs. Some general, but surprisingly (not), mostly M/A.

**Notes:** And finally, the final piece, set to _It's My Life_, by Bon Jovi. I'm well aware this is actually kind of cracky, but since it was the last drabble, I thought "what the hell, just go with it!" Hence it being more fun and less serious, so I hope you enjoy it anyway!

Huge thanks to everyone who's reviewed the series despite its randomness and shortness, I didn't expect such amazing comments, but I was blown away! I really appreciate it :-)

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It's My Life

Another day gone, another long night ahead. Max walked the silent streets of Terminal City, her keen eyes on the look-out for anything amiss, and ears pricked for the slightest sound of something unfamiliar. As always, the guards had started their night watch bang on time, positioned strategically throughout the city to keep a look-out, but Max still preferred to run her own check every evening, just to make sure. She wasn't about to take their feeling of safety for granted.

"_This ain't a song for the broken-hearted..."_

The song came drifting out from one of the buildings to the side, capturing Max's attention and making her do a double-take. She relaxed slightly as she noticed it was coming from the newly-formed "leisure centre", but still, curiosity got the better of her and she made her way towards it, wondering what was going on. The sound of music and voices only got louder as she went inside and turned the corner to enter the main hall, mouth dropping open at the scene in front of her. A hybrid of decorations outlined the walls and ceiling, their bright colours and flashy shapes giving the room a considerably nicer look, while a table the length of the wall was overflowing with drinks and an array of party food. The floor was filled with people, all dancing to their heart's content, while the shyest of the bunch were standing to the side, chatting amicably amongst themselves, switching between watching the crowd and stage with amusement. Max followed their gazes, where the sight that met her eyes on stage almost made her choke in disbelief.

Alec, Mole and Joshua all stood at the front, party hats sitting atop their heads and arms linked around each other's shoulders, singing (or barking, in Josh's case) loudly and with abandon into the microphone, while the crowd sang along with them, cheering them on. Max felt as if her brain had suddenly been overloaded with too many alien images all at the same time – Joshua singing? Mole in a _party hat_? She wondered if she'd been slipped some serious mind-tripping drugs without knowing, and thought about running to the medic centre, where she could find something to knock herself out and undo the effect, when Alec spotted her. His face broke out in a huge grin, and he mouthed "MAX!" while waving. She could only wave weakly in reply, pinned down by his gaze as he belted out the last few words to the song with added gusto.

"_My heart is like an open highway, like Frankie said, I did it my way! I just wanna live while I'm alive. It's. My. LIFE!"_

The crowd burst into cheers and applause, whooping their appreciation while the trio on stage shared a group-hug, raising their arms in victory and punching the air. Alec slipped out from under Mole's and Joshua's arms, bounding off the stage and across the floor to where she stood. She watched him approach with a look of disbelief.

"Alec...what the hell is going on?!"

Alec shook his head and took her under his arm, steering her towards the table, where he swooped up a cup and handed it to her, encouraging her to drink. Max held the cup and narrowed her eyes, giving him a "you're-not-fooling-me" look until he gave in and answered, smile beginning to falter.

"Everyone's been so down lately, I figured I would do something to cheer them up, keep up morale. And I don't think you've had the time to notice, but it's New Year's Eve, Max. What better excuse for a party, right? But I swear, every one of these freaks must have bloodhound DNA or something because somehow, they all figured out what I was doing. And I didn't want to disappoint them so I forced them not to tell you, incase you stopped us. Take it out on me tomorrow if you want Max, but please, don't ruin this for the rest of them."

He gazed at her solemnly, imploring her with wide green eyes, while she said nothing, just stared back at him firmly. She raised one hand and he flinched, afraid that she'd do worse than just whack him upside the back of his head, but he was dumbfounded when instead she smiled, reaching out to ruffle his hair.

"I figured about the party weeks ago, you dumbass," she filled him in, a slight twinkle in her eye. "I was actually talking about the karaoke, and more specifically, how the hell you roped Mole into doing it? And please tell me someone is getting all of this on video."

A slow smile graced Alec's features as he realised he wasn't in for an ass-kicking and he laughed, reaching out to grab her in a hug unexpectedly. Max was taken-aback for a second before she wrapped her arms around him just as tightly, returning the hug and saying with her actions what she couldn't find the courage to say out loud, just yet. After a moment or two, they broke apart, just watching each other with shy grins, before Alec took her drink and put it back on the table, then held out one hand to her.

"Care for a dance?"

Max looked up at him, shrugging as if to say "what the hell", and took his hand, letting him lead her out into the middle of the crowd. She smiled and answered the various greetings thrown in her direction, letting the carefree feeling of happiness wash over her as she listened to the music, her body already moving in time to the beats and rhythms.

"So seriously, Mole in a party-hat? Singing?"

"Ah, a magician never reveals all of his secrets, you should know that."

She snorted, giving him a raised eyebrow, but he simply raised his own back at her. "Alright, so what about the Bon Jovi? That was kinda lame."

She watched in surprise as he stopped, raising a finger almost as if to reprimand her. "Hey, I'll have you know that that song is the unofficial freak nation theme song."

She stopped dancing herself, placing her hands on her hips. "And what secret meeting was this decided in?"

Alec smirked, placing his hands on her shoulders and starting to sway them both along to the music again. "It was no secret, you obviously just weren't paying attention."

Max rolled her eyes, but couldn't find the effort to argue the point. She would just let him have his moment. For the time being anyway.

"Besides, Bon Jovi rocks. On occasion."

* * *

**Notes:** I couldn't resist ;-) Thanks once again for all your kind words, and thanks in advance for whoever reviews this, you're awesome too :-D


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